Ultrafine Pt nanoparticle-decorated multi-folded two-dimensional nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

The development of low-cost, highly active, and rationally designed catalysts is the research trend in electrolytic water reduction. Herein, uniformly dispersed ultra-fine Pt NPs with an average grain diameter of 1.84 nm (DA-Pt (1 : 1)) were effectively loaded onto C 3 N 4 molded and dopamine hydrochloride-modified crinkly nanosheet structures. The plicated structure contributes to the exposure of more surface edge sites, enhancement of metal loading regions, and accessible active sites. The regulation of electronic structure in Pt NPs by O via Pt-O also improves the intrinsic activity of Pt active sites. Additionally, the rich pore structure facilitates mass transfer for HER. As a result, the obtained material is capable of exhibiting effective HER activity in an acidic environment, as well as high-mass activity and long-term stability. DA-Pt (1 : 1) showed comparable current densities to commercial 20 wt% Pt/C (14 and 91 mV) of 10 and 100 mA cm −2 at overpotentials of 17 and 93 mV, respectively. Furthermore, the mass activity of DA-Pt (1 : 1) reached 5526 A g Pt −1 at an overpotential of 100 mV, which is four times greater than that of commercial Pt/C (1400 A g Pt −1 ). The research approach presented here is instructive for the development of highly active, low-cost, uniformly dispersed ultrafine Pt NPs. DA-Pt (1 : 1) exhibits enhanced HER in acidic media, owing to the abundant pore structure, uniformly dispersed ultra-small Pt NPs, and regulation of the electronic structure of Pt active sites by O in carbon supports.